1. Field of the Invention
This invention related generally to binding bales of bulk material such as cotton. In particular, the invention relates to the engagement of a removable section of binding wire or strap guide track with the lower platen of an up press.
2. Related Art
Fibrous materials such as cotton are typically bound into bales by compression presses which compress the bulk material into a preconfigured bale dimension. During compression, the bale is engaged by a bale binding apparatus that installs bale binders such as wire, metal strap or plastic strap in a preconfigured length around the bale. After the bale wire or strap ends are fixed or knotted, compression is released and a bound bale is ejected.
Compression of bulk material into a bale is often achieved with an “up press.” An up press is comprised of a pit below floor level in which a vertically oriented hydraulic unit raises and lowers a platen in order to compress a volume of bulk material above it. The hydraulic shaft raises the platen and compresses a preconfigured volume of bulk material into a baling station, where its upward travel is arrested by an upper platen, against which the bulk material is compressed by continued upper travel of the lower platen. The baling station is above ground level where it may be engaged by a bale binding apparatus. The operations of bale binding apparatuses are described in prior patents such as U.S. Pat. No. 6,637,324 to Stamps and U.S. Pat. No. 6,553,900 to Daniel et al. These patents are incorporated by reference herein.
Up presses are expensive to build and install. The cost of up presses is directly proportional to the depth of the pit required by them. Deeper pits require correspondingly longer hydraulic reaches and deeper and larger lower platens and the following blocks that support them. The deep pits with their large dimension components require more expensive materials and components, such as steel. There is a need in the industry to reduce the amount and thus the expense of materials used. Correspondingly, there is a need in the art to use shallower platens.
FIGS. 1 and 2 depict a prior art bale binder apparatus. A bale forming and binding apparatus 10 has two positions; the solid lines illustrate a first position wherein the moveable wire guide section 48 completes the wire guide track trajectory as when the binding operation is occurring; and the broken lines illustrate a second position wherein the moveable wire guide section 48 is in a position 48a. A floor plate 12 supports vertical support stands 14 on either side of the bale forming and binding station 16. A binding assembly carriage 18 is borne by stands 14. The base extension 20 of the carriage 18 carries the fixed tying heads 40 and attached wire guide track sections 39. The carriage 18 translates in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the drawing along an overhead track 22 attached to the upper rear extent of the stands 14 and its motion is controlled by drive 24.
Extending from the upper forward extent of the stands 14 are a pair of pivot axis brackets 25 holding the pivot axis 26 which carries the moveable guide track support strut assembly 28. Extending forward from the center of the strut assembly 28 is a member 30 pivotally connected at pin 32 to the piston arm 34 which is extended and withdrawn by action of the piston 36. The action of the piston 36 may be by any means but is preferably pneumatic.
The binding wire entering the apparatus 10 from the wire supply (not shown) at the wire control head 41 are directed by guide track sections 38 to and from the tying head 40 which fastens the wire into a closed loop. The guide track section 44 lies in a channel within the bale forming compressor 42 which accommodates the wire trajectory above the bale forming station 46 containing the bulk material (not depicted). The positions 28a, 34a, 36a and 48a show the parts 28, 34, 36 and 48 in their respective positions when the apparatus is in the arrangement whereby the moveable guide track section is at a remove from the bale forming station 46. The upper moveable guide track section terminus 50 and the lower moveable guide track section terminus 52 meet the guide track sections 46 and 38 respectively to complete the wire guide track. The dashed line 54 illustrates the path of motion of the lower terminus 52 as it transits between positions.
As evident by dash line 54, an insertion portion of guide track 48, including guide track end 52 describe an arc of travel that extends substantially lower than the final insertion position of the guide track in the lower platen. The insertion level of the lower guide track, IL is a level at which it engages the stationary portion of the guide track 38 and completes a guide track loop around the baling station. This arc of travel 54 requires a dimension D, which must be clear of obstructions so that the guide track 52 can transverse it. In order to achieve this, the prior art bale binder depicted in FIG. 1 required a lower platen that was increased in height by at least dimension D.
In order to accommodate shorter lower compression platens demanded in the industry, there is a need for a bale binding apparatus that inserts and removes an insertion portion of a removable guide track section without moving the insertion portion of the lower guide track section through any space lower than the level of its final insertion level.
In order to accommodate the need for shorter platens in bulk material up presses, there is consequently a need for bulk material balers designed to engage up presses in a way that accommodates shorter platens.